Markus Schulz Revives Dakota With 'The Nine Skies'

Attention all Dakota fans! Markus Schulz has just announced that come 2017 the Dakota project will be back in action!

The Dakota project began during Markus’ residential years in Arizona as he led party goers into the late hours of the night at Scottsdale’s beloved dance club called The Works. But Dakota truly didn’t take flight until 2009 as the brilliant artistic expression of the darker techno inspired side of Markus Schulz was itching for attention; a side of him that could wait no longer to be unleashed on the world. With a style that has always lingered in the undertones of most of his track selections and productions, his first studio album ‘Thoughts Become Things’ was born. Under the project name, Dakota quickly became an alias that would embed itself deep within the hearts of dance music enthusiasts all over the planet. Tracks like “Koolhaus”, “Mr. Cappuccino“, and “Steel Libido” set the tone for a project that would soon lead to a follow up in 2011 with ‘Thoughts Become Things ll’. By now, fans were foaming at the mouth to dive down the rabbit hole once again and with tracks like “Sleepwalkers“, “Apollo”, and “Tears”, it was made clear that this rabbit hole would take us straight down into the deep depth of the underworld.

Stream the official music video for Markus Schulz presents Dakota – “Koolhaus” on YouTube:

But, as most side projects often do, Dakota soon fell dormant and the world was left wondering if their beloved alias would rise up once again. In 2014, hope was restored with “CLXXV” and the buzz went crazy as the track quickly spread across the scene, restoring hope that the brand had come back for another go-round. The track debuted in grand fashion during his solo set at Space in Miami during the Winter Music Conference, and was ever-present throughout the Scream 2 Bus Tour, along with becoming the most requested ID in his Global DJ Broadcast sets. Alas, for some reason this was not the right moment for a full on come back and once again, the project disappeared.

Stream Markus Schulz presents Dakota – “CLXXV” on YouTube:

Fast forward to 2016 and incredibly Markus Schulz hit us all with a blast from the past during EDC week when he took to the decks at Tao Nightclub under his Dakota alias and delivered a set that put us all at ease. Dakota was not forgotten. A few months after the event I had the amazing opportunity to catch up with Markus to discuss some of his upcoming endeavors and it was revealed during that interview that Dakota would, in fact, make a full return in 2017 with the release of a brand new album and tour! As a huge Dakota fan, I found myself shuddering with excitement at the revelation that we would soon have the next chapter of the Dakota project laid out in front of us! Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the official announcement to be made. Well, the wait is over my friends! Markus Schulz’s famed Dakota alter-ego is set to return, presenting ‘The Nine Skies’; a concept debuting in 2017.

Check out my in-depth interview with Markus Schulz right here!

With further details yet to come, it has been confirmed that the first single off of Dakota’s resurgence will make its debut at Markus’ open to close solo set at Avalon Hollywood on New Year’s Eve. What an epic way to ring in the new year! And as 2017 gets into full swing so will a brand new tour concept focusing on the Dakota brand with a fusion of music, art, and performance. This is just about all the information that we have about the projects revamp right now so I will leave you to sort out your excitement after a few words from the man himself.

“The Nine Skies is my representation of the nine steps we all go through to reach enlightenment in life. I want people to come to these special Dakota shows and open their minds to its music, message and its visuals – the trinity of which will take them on a journey. Your journey, their journey, everybody’s journey together. Dakota is darker in its beats, and wiser with the messages it wants to share with the world. Questions like ‘what is the secret of life? Why are we here on earth? What is our purpose? These are just some of the questions we have and The Nine Skies show will explore”.

– Markus Schulz

For more information or to purchase tickets for Markus Schulz open to close at Avalon click here!